Process for producing photographic backgrounds.



HARRY BARNES SHAEFFER, OF ALTOO NA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS FOR- PRODUCING; PHOTOGRAPHIC BACKGBOUNDS.

0 Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed August 30, 1909. Serial No. 515,253.

Patented Oct. 1, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY B. SHAEFFER, a citizen of the United States, residin at Altoona, in the county of Blair and tate of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Process for Producing Photographic Backgrounds, of which the following is a specification.'

This invention relates generally to improvements in photography and more par ticularly to a method of producing backgrounds, and it has for its object to provide a method or process of printing in backgrounds on photographic negatives of such simple operation as will enable the photographer to produce highly artistic photographs without the employment of skilled artists.

So far as I am aware it is now the custom of photographers to employ artists to work out the design for backgrounds directly on the hack of the negatives.;'lhis is necessarily very expensive since each negative must receive the same treatment that is, the artist must apply his skill to each negative on pear. Under my method or process the same ckground may be quickly applied to-any number of negatives and by a person unskilled as an artist.

According to my invention a pen sketch or drawing of the desired background is first made. From such sketch or drawing a zinc etching or an engraving is made and from the latter a rubber stereotype is produced in any preferred or convement manner. An inking roller is then rolled on an ink block, which may conveniently be an ordinary glass plate on which printing ink is evenly smeared or distributed, until the roller is evenly covered by the ink and then pass the roller over the rubber stereotype to ink the latter. A glass plate is then placed on a suitable smooth surfaced support and thestereotype is laid face down thereon in the position desired. A piece or sheet of blotting paper is then laid on the stamp and a dry roller passed over a perfect impression of the background is made on the clear glass plate. The imprint thus secured or obtained on the clear glass plate mag be used with any number of negatives, an the negatives are not confined for use with any particular background or backwhich the background is to ap- I the same, whereby grounds, while the stereotype may be used over and over again, until worn or blunted with use, in the production of glass plate backgrounds.

When to be used in printing from the negative, a piece of ground glass is'first placed in a printing frame, then the glass plate having the background impression is arranged next to said ground glass, then the negative is placed in position, with the gelatin side thereof up, and then the printing paper is arranged over the negative, and exposed to the action of light, whereby the background is reproduced with the picture and makes a perfect whole.

In order to make certain parts or places of thepicture lighter or to bring out the high-lights stronger and more brilliant, I touch up such spots on the stamp with ink by means of a brush, or Imay do the same on the glass plate after the impression has been made thereon if found more convenient. Also to produce denser shadows the ink may be wiped from the parts of the stereotype it is desired to darken, with a cloth, or they may be wiped or the ink removed from the glass plate after the impression is made thereon, all of which modifications or changes in the design are rendercd possible by the use of a blendable ink, such as printers ink and the operator. is thus enabled to produce highly artistic elfectsand to vary the background according to the surplus composition desired with little trouble and l no additional expense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:-- I

'1 1. A process of producing a photogra h background conslsting in printing the bac ground in soluble ink on transparent waterproof material and then wiping out a portion of the background negative.

2. A process of producing a photograpih background consisting in printing a bac ground design in soluble ink on transparent waterproof material and then wiping out portions of the background.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature,

in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY BARNES SHAEFFER.

Witnesses:

E. A. HOLUOMB, H. H. VARLEY. 

